Thursday, February 21, 2013

3:09 PM

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Oshkosh today joined 14 of his Senate GOP colleagues in requesting that President Obama withdraw the nomination of Chuck Hagel as Defense secretary.

In a letter to the president issued by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the lawmakers cited a lack of consensus among senators about the nomination and criticized the former Nebraska GOP senator's "deeply concerning" testimony at his confirmation hearings.

The senators write that they have "serious doubts about his basic competence to meet the substantial demands of the office."

"It would be unprecedented for a Secretary of Defense to take office without the broad base of bipartisan support and confidence needed to serve effectively in this critical position," the letter reads.